The blend of water filters through ponds, wetlands and mangroves, where oysters and plants absorb the nutrients, then the clean water flows back into the lagoon.

Besides diluting the briny water, the DEP permit requires only that the project create "a net environmental benefit" to the lagoon, agency spokeswoman Jill Margolius said Thursday at a public meeting on the Spoonbill Marsh permit renewal.

In 2107, the project removed about 5,900 pounds of nitrogen and 2,100 pounds of phosphorus from the lagoon water that passed through the marsh, said Eric Charest, Indian River County's environmental specialist.

"If we remove just a pound of nitrogen and a pound of phosphorus, we've met that environmental benefit requirement," Charest said. "And we've obviously done that."

Buy Photo

Quentin Walter (right) of Indian River County, speaks with Arjuna Weragoda (left) and Eric Charest (center) both of Indian River County Utilities, about the man-made Spoonbill Marsh during a public meeting held by Indian River County and the State Department of Environmental Protection at the County Administrative Complex on Thursday, April 12, 2018 in Vero Beach. "I'm trying to find out why there are two sides that are opposed and what is going on at the Spoonbill Marsh," Walter said. "I'm just here to try to learn what the controversy is."(Photo11: ERIC HASERT/TCPALM)

Helping or hurting?

Critics question the county's figures and claim the project harms the lagoon.

"The county contends the project is cleaning water," said Barry Shapiro, a retired Vero Beach advertising executive and outspoken critic of the project. "We contend that it isn't. It isn't being metered properly."

The site where the project gets water from the lagoon is too close to the site where it puts water back into the lagoon, he said. The mixing "makes the water look cleaner than it really is."

Installing new monitoring devices is one improvement DEP wants to see, said Jennifer Smith, director of the agency's Southeast district.

"The project is currently in compliance with its permit," Smith said. "But if we issue an extension, there are some things we would suggest need to be improved. And if the improvements weren't made, then the project would be out of compliance."

Winter Beach Salt Marsh

DEP also wants the county to improve a berm along the north side of the project so water doesn't overflow onto the adjacent Winter Beach Salt Marsh.

The marsh is a 50-acre preserve owned by the Indian River Land Trust, and one of only two remaining salt marshes in Indian River County.

"What used to be a great and environmentally important salt marsh was ruined forever by all that water," Shapiro said.

Not exactly, said Land Trust Executive Director Ken Grudens.

Winter Beach "still contains healthy high salt marsh habitat," Grudens said. But water from Spoonbill Marsh has overflowed, at times, onto the land trust's property and has contributed, "at least in part," to mangroves taking over part of the salt marsh.

"However, this phenomena of expanding mangroves also has been occurring on other land trust properties along other parts of the lagoon," Grudens said. "It’s difficult to determine the exact causes."

In November, the county promised to improve the berm.

"We believe they're acting in good faith to address the situation," Grudens said.

Spoonbill Marsh(Photo11: TCPALM Map)

Scrap or fix?

Spoonbill Marsh should be scrapped, said Capt. Paul Fafeita, a Vero Beach fishing guide and president of the Coastal Conservation Association's Treasure Coast chapter.

"In the time it would take the county to comply with the permit requirements, we could cut to the chase and work with the city of Vero Beach to send the brine down their deep injection well," Fafeita said.

That would be a waste, Charest countered, calling Spoonbill Marsh "a three-fer" that eliminates brine, removes nutrients from the lagoon and has created habitat from a former mosquito impoundment and citrus grove.

The county should get an independent assessment of the project, said Richard Baker, president of the Vero Beach-based Pelican Island Audubon Society. He suggested either the Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the Ocean Research & Conservation Association or the Florida Institute of Technology.

"Right now, the county is doing all the monitoring," Baker said. "Although they have good people, their results would be less suspect if there was an independent look to see if the project is successful or not."

DEP seeks public input

The project is in the beginning of the permit renewal process.

In addition to comments from Thursday's meeting, DEP will accept written comments through 5 p.m. April 26.

Comments may be sent by email to bradley.akers@floridadep.gov.

"We'll take every comment into consideration before approving or denying the renewal," Margolius said. "We won't issue a permit if we think the project doesn't protect the environment."